Pros
You get to work with some great kiddos and families. Supervisors are very nice and give helpful advice. Lots of recognition for the hard work that you do, too. This was an incredible opportunity to make an impact on the lives of special needs children. It was an extremely rewarding and fulfilling position. Every day when I came home, I felt like I'd made a difference, even if it was small.
Cons
Supervisors really need to come out to sessions more. After the initial training period, for the most part I felt like I was just out there on my own. Some kids are VERY difficult, and I felt as though my training, though extensive, did not fully prepare me for the intensity of the situations I'd be dealing with. Scheduling is also a big issue. I never did reach full-time status because I never got enough hours, meaning I never got any benefits or paid time off. Scheduling also frequently made mistakes on my schedule or failed to give me enough drive time between clients. Finally, management should tell families right off the bat that behavior instructors are not allowed to accept food or drink from families. Behavior Frontiers is very strict about this, but a lot of families don't seem to understand, and will push BIs to accept things. I had families repeatedly insist upon offering me food or drink, despite me saying I couldn't, so it would be very helpful if management made this very clear to the families before services started.